Hey everyone. I was born and raised in America with English as my first language. Is this the full list of countries one can teach in with no degree? I would get whatever certificate(s) I need to before applying. Thank you!
http://www.internationalteflacademy.com ... ege-Degree
Countries to teach in with NO degree
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higgsboson
- Posts: 150
- Joined: Mon Jun 14, 2010 1:13 am
Hi BD,
It is a little tougher without a degree but very possible. Definitely get some type of certificate and you can buy a degree in Thailand, which might work if all you want to teach is ESL. Also, you will need that degree eventually.
I started without a degree - I was 3 semesters short of a BS. After 4 years of teaching ESL though, I knew I wanted to teach at international schools.
I would add to your list Taiwan for substitute teaching. At Taipei Hostel for example, you can hang out in the TV room starting around 2pm and the various busibans will call around for last minute teachers, kind of like day work for esl teachers. This will cover expenses while you look into something permanent.
Good luck and have fun on this road less travelled by.
It is a little tougher without a degree but very possible. Definitely get some type of certificate and you can buy a degree in Thailand, which might work if all you want to teach is ESL. Also, you will need that degree eventually.
I started without a degree - I was 3 semesters short of a BS. After 4 years of teaching ESL though, I knew I wanted to teach at international schools.
I would add to your list Taiwan for substitute teaching. At Taipei Hostel for example, you can hang out in the TV room starting around 2pm and the various busibans will call around for last minute teachers, kind of like day work for esl teachers. This will cover expenses while you look into something permanent.
Good luck and have fun on this road less travelled by.
I taught ESL in Cambodia before finishing my degree (had a year to go) and would certainly add Cambodia to the list.
HOWEVER, after clicking on the link from Int'l TEFL Academy, I can't help but feel they paint an unrealistic picture of teaching abroad without a degree. The truth of the matter is, only schools that are very desperate for teachers will hire degree-less educators. And the reason why such schools are desperate is likely because the school is terribly run, pay is peanuts, and / or the school is in a remote and undesirable location.
If you would like to teach English primarily for the "experience" (on a gap year or such) than by all means go ahead, you'll find a position somewhere and you'll be able to test the waters and see if you like teaching, all the while experiencing a different culture.
On the other hand, if you are planning on beginning a career in teaching than doing so without a degree is going to be a very difficult and frustrating road.
HOWEVER, after clicking on the link from Int'l TEFL Academy, I can't help but feel they paint an unrealistic picture of teaching abroad without a degree. The truth of the matter is, only schools that are very desperate for teachers will hire degree-less educators. And the reason why such schools are desperate is likely because the school is terribly run, pay is peanuts, and / or the school is in a remote and undesirable location.
If you would like to teach English primarily for the "experience" (on a gap year or such) than by all means go ahead, you'll find a position somewhere and you'll be able to test the waters and see if you like teaching, all the while experiencing a different culture.
On the other hand, if you are planning on beginning a career in teaching than doing so without a degree is going to be a very difficult and frustrating road.
Reply
It really depends what your goal is. If your looking to backpack or travel somewhere/through somewhere on a gap year or year abroad then you can teach ELL without a degree. if your looking at it for a career or actually make a living at it, your not only going to have problems finding stable employment but will eventually have legal problems. Your working at a school for peanuts, and something happens and the school doesnt pay you, and you cant do anything because your working in the country illegally. Your working at a school and the school gets busted for employing illegal foreigners, they claim you gave them a copy of your degree (which turns out to be bogus" and then you have issues. teaching ELL without a degree is only viable if your mobile and your and your just using it to fund/subsidize your travels.
My list is as follows:
1) China
2) South Korea
3) Thailand
4) Taiwan
5) Vietnam
6) Laos/Mynamar
7) Mexico
8) Argentina
9) Brazil
10) Columbia
11) Kuwait
12) Saudi Arabia
... You know this list might be better if I list the places it would be a bad idea and why:
1) Japan - The ELL market is SATURATEd, there are teachers with degrees and TESOL certificates who are scraping by for 220,000Â¥ and some even less.
2) Singapore - Singlish a dialect of english is pretty common, and Singapore is a tiny island. There just isnt enough work, and the work that is available there are again better qualified people available.
3) Hong Kong - Most of the people in HK needed a certain level of english fluency to get positions there in the first place. Any agency or organization is going to only be interested in qualified/legal teachers. You may get by with a EC, PK, K, N school but to hire someone without a degree would be basically day care and you wouldnt make enough to survive in HK.
4) Western Europe (WE) - Most europeans get a health amount of english in schools. I cant agree with the TEFL Academy post that you could make a living in Spain without a degree. Most of the ELL needs in WE arent for BICS ELL but CALP and usually ELL for specific purposes (academic). Doctors and medical school students for example. You might pick up a few lessons here and their but youd be driving yourself to an early grave wondering if you will go broke in any one month.
5) Easter Europe (EE) - Its possible to make it work, but its really only effective again if your passing through. Cities like Moscow and Prague, despite the hype and the depressed currency are not cheap for foreigners/travelers. The only places you could live would be hostels, hotels, and illegal apartments, which are little more then slums. Again, youd be stressing yourself every month wondering if you would go broke or not. There is more availability in the more rural areas, but were talking places but the local police are going to know every foreignor and your not going to be allowed to set up shop long, and you dont want to go to EE jail.
By certificates they mean TESOL (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificates, also called ESOL, EFL, ESL, EAL, ELL, etc. There are basically 4 types (from best to worst):
1) Professional Certification (The Platinum Ring): This is basically a "real" professional teaching certification that just happens to be in ELL. Its not really any better as far as a language school is concerned, but makes you eligible for real ISs (International Schools), and being a "real" teacher does mean something to schools.
2) Cambridge (CELTA/DELTA)/Trinity Certificate (The Gold Ring): The Cambridge certificate (their is an entry level "Certificate" and an advance "Diploma" is offered by Cambridge in the USA. The trinity certificate (there is also a more advance "Diploma" version) is offered by trinity College in London. These certificates are independently validated, the most widely known and accepted, are directed to a foreign student audience. They are also expensive and time consuming.
3) Independent Certificates (Silver Ring): These include programs from private organizations and university training programs. There is a lot of variation but the better the programs have face too face instruction, and offer actual skills practice with real students. The shorter the course, the more the focus shifts to demonstration lessons with your fellow teacher/students, and the more online or self study the course is the less value it has. You can do a weekend course online for $30, but it will be mostly a useless piece of paper you could of printed up yourself on a printer though.
4) Proprietary Certificates (Bronze Ring):These are certificate programs offered by a company that then either hires you to work in its schools or in its network of schools. They arent really accepted outside of that organization, but sometimes its what you have to do to get a certain job. Sometimes the training is free or deeply discounted. Most of the times its as expensive as an independent certification program.
My list is as follows:
1) China
2) South Korea
3) Thailand
4) Taiwan
5) Vietnam
6) Laos/Mynamar
7) Mexico
8) Argentina
9) Brazil
10) Columbia
11) Kuwait
12) Saudi Arabia
... You know this list might be better if I list the places it would be a bad idea and why:
1) Japan - The ELL market is SATURATEd, there are teachers with degrees and TESOL certificates who are scraping by for 220,000Â¥ and some even less.
2) Singapore - Singlish a dialect of english is pretty common, and Singapore is a tiny island. There just isnt enough work, and the work that is available there are again better qualified people available.
3) Hong Kong - Most of the people in HK needed a certain level of english fluency to get positions there in the first place. Any agency or organization is going to only be interested in qualified/legal teachers. You may get by with a EC, PK, K, N school but to hire someone without a degree would be basically day care and you wouldnt make enough to survive in HK.
4) Western Europe (WE) - Most europeans get a health amount of english in schools. I cant agree with the TEFL Academy post that you could make a living in Spain without a degree. Most of the ELL needs in WE arent for BICS ELL but CALP and usually ELL for specific purposes (academic). Doctors and medical school students for example. You might pick up a few lessons here and their but youd be driving yourself to an early grave wondering if you will go broke in any one month.
5) Easter Europe (EE) - Its possible to make it work, but its really only effective again if your passing through. Cities like Moscow and Prague, despite the hype and the depressed currency are not cheap for foreigners/travelers. The only places you could live would be hostels, hotels, and illegal apartments, which are little more then slums. Again, youd be stressing yourself every month wondering if you would go broke or not. There is more availability in the more rural areas, but were talking places but the local police are going to know every foreignor and your not going to be allowed to set up shop long, and you dont want to go to EE jail.
By certificates they mean TESOL (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificates, also called ESOL, EFL, ESL, EAL, ELL, etc. There are basically 4 types (from best to worst):
1) Professional Certification (The Platinum Ring): This is basically a "real" professional teaching certification that just happens to be in ELL. Its not really any better as far as a language school is concerned, but makes you eligible for real ISs (International Schools), and being a "real" teacher does mean something to schools.
2) Cambridge (CELTA/DELTA)/Trinity Certificate (The Gold Ring): The Cambridge certificate (their is an entry level "Certificate" and an advance "Diploma" is offered by Cambridge in the USA. The trinity certificate (there is also a more advance "Diploma" version) is offered by trinity College in London. These certificates are independently validated, the most widely known and accepted, are directed to a foreign student audience. They are also expensive and time consuming.
3) Independent Certificates (Silver Ring): These include programs from private organizations and university training programs. There is a lot of variation but the better the programs have face too face instruction, and offer actual skills practice with real students. The shorter the course, the more the focus shifts to demonstration lessons with your fellow teacher/students, and the more online or self study the course is the less value it has. You can do a weekend course online for $30, but it will be mostly a useless piece of paper you could of printed up yourself on a printer though.
4) Proprietary Certificates (Bronze Ring):These are certificate programs offered by a company that then either hires you to work in its schools or in its network of schools. They arent really accepted outside of that organization, but sometimes its what you have to do to get a certain job. Sometimes the training is free or deeply discounted. Most of the times its as expensive as an independent certification program.
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